Improvement in head-blocks for saw-mills



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. LANE. Head-Blocks for Saw-Mills.

No. 222,915. Patented Dec. 23,1879.

2 Sheet's-Sheet 2. D. LANE.

Head-Blocks for Saw-MUIS.

Patented Dec. 23, |879.

STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

DENNIS LANE, OF MONTPELIER, VT., ASSIGNOR TO LANE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HVIPROVEMENT IN HEAD-BLOCKS FOR SAW-MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,915, dated December23, 1879; application filed May 17, 187 9.

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DENNIS LANE, of Montpelier, in the county of Washington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Head-Blocks for Saw- Mills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use viding these log-carriages with an apparatusv for holding and sawing the log that could be operated with sufficient celerity and exactness to meet the present requirements ot' the lumber trade. Y

The object ot' this invention is, therefore, to so construct that part of the log-carriage usually called the set-works as to obviate these difticulties, enabling the operator to set or move the log the necessary distance upon the head-blocks of the carriage required to produce lumber ot a certain thickness with dispatch and great accuracy, thus enabling the manufacturer to put his lumber in the market in such a perfect state as to command a ready sale at'advanced prices; and the invention' consists in the construction and arrangement of the setting devices, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a log-carriage embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, showing a portion of the setting apparatus and its supports. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, showing the method of construct' ing and operating the reversible stops by which the movement ofthe log is regulated.

In constructing' this carriage the frame is of the ordinary make with the two longitudinal pieces A, which are generally provided with guide-wheels running upon a trackplaced upon the floor of the mill, the side pieces being connected by suitable girthsg and the headblocks B, which are commonly of iron and securely bolted to the side pieces, the whole forming a rigid frame for the support of the logs, which are placed upon the head blocks. Resting transversely upon' these head-blocks, and extending nearly or quite the whole length of the carriage,A is the set-bar C, which is connected to the head-blocks in such a manner as to allow it to slide on them for a distance equal to the diameter of the largest logs the machine is intended to cut. This connection between the set-bar andhead-block is formed by clamps a, which are bolted to the set-bar and hook under the projecting tongue ct ot' the headblock. The set-bar carries the knees D, against which the log rests, and is secured by clamping devices. (Not shown in the drawings, as they form no part ofthe present improvement.)

Attached to the sides of two or more of the head-blocks is an open rack, I), in which the teeth of the pinions b upon the set-shaft E engage. This set-shaft is carried in suitable journal-boxes upon the arms F,f which are securely attached to the set-bar upon its under side over the head-blocks. They thus perform the double duty of forming a metallic wearingsurface upon the under side of the set-bars and carrying the journal-bearin gs ofthe set-shaft.

Upon one end otx the set-shaft is secured a bevel-wheel, Gr, which engages with a similar wheel, G', upon the shaft H, which is vplaced transversely of the machine, one end being carried by a journal-box secured to the under side of the set-bar, and the other in a bearing t upon the cross-piece I, which unites the ends of two of the arms F. Upon this shaft H is also placed the gaging-cylinderJ and a ratchetwheel, K, the latter being the device through which a rotating motion is imparted to the shaft H and set-shaft E. In order to produce this rotation a hand lever, L, is pivoted upon the shaft H, and carries the pawl c, which, acting upon the teeth of the ratchet, impart an intermittent rotary movement to the shaft H and its attachments whenever the hand-lever u is oscillated, the pawls d, attached to an arm, F, preventing any retrograde movement of the ratchet-wheel K when the pawls care not acting.

It will be apparent that the bevel-gear wheel G. gaging-cylinder J, and ratchet K may all be cast in one piece or separate without materially changing the arrangement of any part of the machine. In practice I prefer to cast them together, as such construction requires less expense in fitting.'

To the ends of two of the arms Fis securely attached the semicircular arc P, to the outside of which are pivoted the stops e, so arranged that they may be thrown backward, having the periphery of the arc free; but when resting upon the periphery they form stops, against which the lug e upon the lever L strikes.

A stationary pin, f, is placed in the side of the arc, upon which the lever L rests when not in use, and which forms the limit of its oscillations in one direction, one of the stops e being the other limit. YThese stops c are placed at such distances from each other upon the arc that the movement of the lever L from one `stop to the next shall move the setting-log G forward a certain specified distance, as half an inch, or such other unit of measure as may be found most convenient, the distance between the pin f and the iirst stop being greater than that between the stops by sufcient space to form an equivalent for the saw-kerf. It will be seen that this makes an exceedingly convenient arrangement for the purpose intended, as to change the thickness of the lumber being out it is only necessary to turn down the stop in use and turn up that which indicates the thickness required for the next piece.

The gaging-cylinder J may be made to perform a double function, namely that of indicating the precise thickness of the lumber being cut and also the amount or number of pieces of lumber in the log after it has been slabbed and turned down with its straight side against the setting-knees D.

An index or pointer is attached to the frame, its arm h, which is bent at right angles, traversing the surface of the gage-wheel, and retained in close contact therewith by its spring attachment L, the position of the index upon the surface of the wheel indicating at a glance the thickness of the stock remaining upon the head-blocks, and enabling the sawyer to so arrange his cuts that there shall be no waste.

The operation of the machine is similar to that of other analogous devices now in use. A log being placed upon the head-blocks is secured against the setting-knees D by suitable dogs. stops being all turned down so as to beout of the wa y. The action of the lever upon the settin g-bar, through theintermediate mechanism, forces the log outward toward the ends of the head-blocks until it has passed beyond them sufficiently for the iirst slab to be cut, which is taken off. Then thelogis released from the, dogs and turned over upon this iiat side, an! other slab cut, and the log turned again for removing the third slab. It is then placed with two of the flatted sides upon the headblock and against the setting-knees, respectively, and redogged. It is now ready for cutting into lumber of a certain specified thickness, which is accomplished by turning one of the stops e, which indicates the thickness wanted upon the top of the arc, and then moving the log forward the proper distance after each out by bringing the lever P from its position upon the pin j' forward until the lug e strikes the turned-up stop upon the arc.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In a saw-mill head-block, the combination of the arc P, provided with pivoted stop e, gage-cylinder J, upon shaft II and rigidly secured thereto, ratchet-wheel K, setting-lever L, and index h, arranged in the manner and for the purpose speciiied.

2. The head-blocks B, provided with the open racks b, in combination with the pinions b, set-shaft E, and its operating mechanism, as set forth.

3. The arms F, attached to the setting-bar and carrying the operatingmechanism in the manner shown and described, in combination with the head-blocks B and sliding clamps a, as set forth. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of May, 1879.

DENNIS LANE.

Witnesses:

Guo. W. WING, P. H. HINKLEY.

The lever L is then operated, the. 

